Emydidse 
A few occur in salt or brackish water. The leading gen- 
era are Emys, Cistudo (the box-tortoises), Chelopus (the 
speckled turtles), etc. The salt-water terrapin of the At- 
lantic States, Malacoclemwys palwftris, well known to epi- 
cures, belongs to this family. By some the name is sup- 
planted by ClemmifidcK, the genus Emys being referred to 
the family Cistudinidce, and by others the family is con- 
sidered to be inseparable from the Testudinidoe. Also 
Emydte. See cuts tinder carapace, Cistudo, and terrapin, 
emydin (em'i-din), . [< Gr. e/ii'f (k[ivi-), the 
fresh-water tortoise, 4- -in 2 .] In chem., a white 
nitrogenous substance contained in the yolk of 
turtles' eggs. It is closely related to, if not 
identical with, vitellin. 
Emydina 1 (em-i-dl'na), n. [NL., < Gr. ejivf or 
c/iiif (e/tvfi-, euvd-), the fresh-water tortoise, + 
-ina 1 ."] A genus of fresh-water tortoises, typi- 
cal of the Emydinidce. 
Emydina 2 (em-i-di'na), n. pi. [NL., < Emys 
(Emyd-) + -iwa 2 .] A subfamily of Emydidte or 
Clemmyidce, typified by the genus Emys, and in- 
cluding most species of the family, it was limited 
byGray to those tortoiseswhich have thehead covered with 
a thin hard skin, the zygomatic arch distinct, the fore limbs 
covered in front by thin scales and cross-bands, and the 
spreading toes strong and webbed. 
Emydinidse (em-i-din'i-de), n.pl. [NL., < Emy- 
dina 1 + -idle.] Afamily of soft-shelled tortoises, 
typified by the genus Emydina, including a few 
Asiatic species referred usually to the Triony- 
chidcB, having the edge of the disk strengthened 
by a series of internal bones, the skull oblong, 
convex, and swollen, and the palate with a cen- 
tral groove. Also Emydinadce. 
emydoid (em'i-doid), . and . I. a. Resem- 
bling or related to a tortoise of the genus Emys; 
belonging to the family Emydidx. 
II. n. A tortoise of the family Emydidce. 
Emydoidse (em-i-doi'de), n. pi. [NL., < Emys 
(Emyd-) + -oidai.~] A family of tortoises, typi- 
fied by the genus Emys, including the Clemmy- 
idas and Cistudmidce, and divided into 5 subfam- 
ilies. L. Agassiz. See cut under Cistudo. 
Emydosauria (em"i-do-sa'ri-a), n.pl. [NL., < 
Gr. fyiif or cuvc. (efivS-, iftvd-), the fresh-water 
tortoise, + aaiipoq, a lizard.] One of several 
names of the order Crocodilia : so called from 
the fact that the dermal armor of the croco- 
diles and alligators suggests the shell of a tor- 
toise. De Blainvillc. 
Emys (em'is), . [NL., < Gr. eftvf or e/ivf, the 
fresh-water tortoise.] A genus of tortoises, 
giving name to the Emydidee. The name has been 
variously employed : (a) For fresh-water tortoises in gen- 
eral of the family Clemmyidce, such as E. lutaria of Eu- 
rope, now generally called Cleminys caspica, and numerous 
American species, (b) Restricted to certain box-tortoises 
belonging to the family now called Cistutlinidce, such as 
the box-tortoise of Europe, Emys europma, which is the 
emys of Aristotle and the ancients, and the Etnys blan- 
dingi of North America. 
en (en), n. [< ME. *en, < AS. "en, < L. en, < e, 
the usual assistant vowel, + M.] 1. The name 
of the letter N, n. It is rarely written, the sym- 
bol N, n, being used instead. 2. In printing, a 
space half as wide as an em, sometimes used 
as a standard in reckoning the amount of a 
compositor's work. See em 1 , 2. 
en- 1 . [ME. en-, < OF. en-, rarely F. en- = Sp. 
Pg. en- = It. en-, in-, < L. in- (see in- 2 ), an ad- 
verbial or prepositional prefix, conveying the 
idea, according as the verb is one of rest or of 
motion, of existence 'in' a place or thing, or of 
motion, direction, or inclination 'into' or 'to' a 
place or thing, < in, prep., in, into, = E. in: 
see in 1 . In later L. in- usually became im-, 
and so in Bom. era- usually becomes em-, before 
labials : see em- 1 , i)- 2 .] A common adverbial 
or prepositional prefix, representing Latin in-, 
meaning primarily ' in ' or ' into.' Appearing first 
in Middle English words derived through Old French from 
Latin, en-i (before labials em-) has come to be freely used as 
a prefix of words of native as well as of Romance or Latin 
origin, being equivalent to tn-i of pure English origin and 
to i-2 of direct Latin origin, and hence often restored to 
wrap, enfold, infold, with, however, a tendency in one or 
other of the forms to disappear, or to become partly differ- 
entiated in use. Before labials en- becomes em-, as in em- 
bellish, embrace, but may remain unchanged before m, as 
In enmew or emmew. As a verbal prefix, en-, when joined 
to a noun, or a verb from a noun, may retain its original 
meaning of ' in ' (' put in '), as in encage (put in a cage), en- 
fold, enfetter, encapsule, etc.; or when prefixed to an ad- 
jective or a noun, it may denote a change from one state 
into another ('make ...'), as in enable (make able), en- 
rich, enslane, enfranchise, enlarge, and hence has often the 
effect simply of a verb-forming prefix. In some cases 
prefixed to a verb, it has no additional force, as in tnkindlf 
encaptivate. 
en- 2 . [F., etc., en-, < L. en-, < Gr. h- (before gut- 
turals y-), a prefix conveying with verbs the 
idea of ' in' or ' at' a place, etc., with adjectives 
the possession of a quality, 'having,' 'with,' 'in' 
1908 
(= L. in-, > en- 1 , above), < h, prep., = L. in 
= E. in: see in 1 .] An adverbial or preposi- 
tional prefix of Greek origin, meaning primari- 
ly 'in': chiefly in scientific or technical words 
of modern formation, as in cncephalon, enan- 
tliema, etc. 
-en 1 . [(1) ME. -en (sometimes spelled -in, -yn), 
later often -e, the two forms long coexisting; 
earliest ME. always -en (weak verbs -en or -ien), 
< AS. -an (weak verbs -an or -ian, -irjean), 
ONorth. -a, -in = OS. -an (-on) = OFries. -a = 
D. -en = OHG. -an (-en, -on), MHG. G. -en = 
Icel. -a (-ja) = Sw. -a (-ja) = Dan. -e = Goth, -an 
(-jan), the reg. Teut. inf. suffix, quite different 
from the L. inf. suffix, -re (-a-re, -e-re, -i-re, 
-i-re), but cognate with Gr. -cvai, later reg. -av, 
and orig. dat. of *-ana, an orig. noun suffix. 
(2) ME. -en, often only -e, < AS. -en = OS. -an 
= OFries. Fries. MD. D. MLG. LG. -en = OHG. 
-an, MHG. G. -en = Icel. -inn = Sw. Dan. -en 
= Goth, -an-s, the reg. pp. suffix of strong 
verbs, = L. -n-us = Gr. -v-of = Skt. -n-as, an 
adj. suffix. (3) < ME. -en-en, -n-en (the final 
syllable being a different suffix, -en 1 (1) ), < AS. 
-n-an, -n-ian (as in j'aistnian, > E. fasten, make 
fast) = Goth, -n-an, Drop, intr., as in Goth. 
fullnan, become full, in verbs formed on the 
pp. of strong verbs, -an-s = AS. and E. -en, 
etc. See (2), above. (4) ME. -en, often -e, in 
later ME. a general pi. suffix, in earlier ME. 
confined to ind. and subj. pret. pi. and subj. 
pres., the ind. pres. (and impv. pi.) having -eth, 
< AS. -ath, -iatit. The AS. verb-forms with pi. 
term, -n were (in all 3 persons) subj. pres. -en 
(-ien), ind. pret. -on (-an), subj . -en. Like forms 
are found in the other Teut. tongues, being worn- 
down and assimilated forms of elements orig. of 
different origin.] A termination of various ori- 
gin, used in the formation of verbs, (a) The in- 
nuitive suffix, now obsolete, as in Middle English singen, 
escapen, pullen, etc., modern English sing, escape, pull, 
etc. In late Middle English the -n fell away (singe, es- 
cape, pulle, etc.), but the -e continued to be pronounced, 
at least optionally, until near the end of the Middle Eng- 
lish period ; in modern English the -e, though always si- 
lent, is retained in spelling after a single consonant follow- 
ing a long vowel (as in escape) and in some other positions. 
(b) The suffix of the past participle of strong verbs (Middle 
English and Anglo-Saxon -en), as in risen, written, etc., past 
particlplesofrtw, write, etc. In Middle English the -noften 
fell away (risen or rise, writen or write, etc.) ; hence in mod- 
ern English many coexisting forms in -en and -e silent or 
absent, as broken and broke, written and writ, beaten and 
beat, sunken and sunk, etc. In most of these pairs there is 
a slight differentiation of use (as sunken, drunken, adj., 
sunk, drunk, pp.), or one form is obsolete (writ, pp., etc.) 
or regarded as "incorrect " (broke, spoke, etc.), or is merely 
vulgar (riz for risen, etc.). In some cases the past par- 
ticiple in -era is modern, the verb being originally weak 
(with past participle in -erf2), as in worn, pp. of wear. 
In most of such instances the older form in -ed% is still in 
prevalent use, as in sewed or seum, sawed or sawn, proved 
or proven, etc., the -?2 being in some instances absorbed, 
as in hid or hidden, chid or chidden, (c) A suffix form- 
ing verbs from adjectives, as weaken, fatten, etc. Origi- 
nally such verbs were only intransitive (' become weak, 
fat,' etc.), but now they are also transitive (' make weak, 
fat,' etc.). (d) In Middle English, a plural suffix of verbs : 
as, they aren, weren, sayen, singen, sungen, etc. It is now 
reduced to silent -e or entirely lost. 
-en 2 . [< ME. -en, < AS. -en = D. -en = OHG. 
MHG. G. -en, etc., = Goth, -in-s, -ein-s = L. 
-i-nu-s = Gr. -t-vo-c = Skt. -i-na-s, an adj. suffix, 
radically identical with -en 1 (2), pp. suffix.] A 
suffix forming adjectives from nouns of mate- 
rial, as ashen 1 , ashen 2 , earthen, oaken, wooden, 
golden, sometimes simply -n, as cedarn, eldern, 
silvern, etc. Many such words are obsolete, dialectic, 
or archaic, as elmen, treen, clayen, hairen, etc. ; many are 
also, some chiefly or exclusively, nouns, as aspen, linden, 
linen, woolen. 
-en 3 . [< ME. -en, < AS. -en (gen. dat. -enne), ear- 
lier -in, -inne = OHG. -in (-inna), MHG. -in, -inne, 
G. -in = L. -ina (as in regina, queen) = Gr. -two, 
-a-iva = Skt. -dni, fern, suffix.] A feminine suf- 
fix, of which only a few relics exist in native 
English words, as, for example, vixen, from 
Anglo-Saxon fyxen (= German fuchsin), a fe- 
male fox : in some instances regarded as having 
a diminutive force, as in maiden, from Anglo- 
Saxon mcegden, etc. See vixen, maiden, and 
compare elfin. 
-en 4 . [< ME. -en, often -e, and, with double pi., 
-en-e, < AS. -an, the norn. ace. pi. (and gen. dat. 
etc. sing.) term, of weak nouns (nom. sing, 
masc. -a, fern, and neut. -e), = OS. -un = OHG. 
-an, MHG. G. -en = Goth, -an-s = L. -in-es (e. g., 
homines, pi. of homo) = Gr. -rv-cp = Skt. -an-as; 
being, in AS., etc., the stem suffix -an, used as 
a sign of the pi., the real pi. suffix (-as, -es, -s) 
having fallen away.] The plural suffix of a few 
nouns, as oxen, brethren, children, and (archaic 
and poetical) eyne or een (= eyen), kine (= kyen), 
shoon, dial, liosen, housen, peasen, etc. in these 
enacture 
the termination is of Middle English origin, except in 
oxen (from Anglo-Saxon oxan), eyne, een (from Anglo- 
Saxon edgan), hosen (from Anglo-.Saxon hoxan), peasen 
(from Anglo-Saxon pisan). 
-en 5 . A suffix of various other origins besides 
those mentioned above : often ultimately iden- 
tical with -an (Latin -amis), as in citizen, den- 
izen, dozen, etc., but having also, as in often, 
midden, etc., other sources ascertainable upon 
reference to the word concerned. 
enable (e-na'bl), v. ; pret. and pp. enabled, ppr. 
enabling. [Formerly also inable; < ME. enablen ; 
< en- 1 + able 1 ."] I. trans. 1. To make able; 
furnish with adequate power, ability, means, or 
authority ; render competent. 
Temperance gives nature her full piny, and enables her 
to exert herself in all her force and vigour. 
Spectator, No. 195. 
No science of heat was possible until the invention of 
the thermometer enabled men to measure the degree of 
temperature. J. Fiske, Cosmic Philos., I. 34. 
2f. To put in an efficient state or condition ; 
endow ; equip ; fit out. 
Joy openeth and enableth the heart. 
Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, i. 
You are beholden to them, sir, that have taken this 
pains for you, and my friend, Master Truewit, who en- 
abled them for the business. B. Jonson, Epicoene, v. 1. 
= Syn. 1. To empower, qualify, capacitate. 
II. intrans. To give ability or competency. 
For matter of policy and government, that learning 
should rather hurt than enable thereunto is a thing very 
improbable. Bacon, Advancement of Learning, i. 16. 
enablementt (e-na'bl-ment), . [< enable + 
-ment."] The act of enabling. 
Learning. . . hath no less power and efficacy in enable- 
ment towards martial and military virtue and prowess. 
Bacon, Advancement of Learning, i. 82. 
enach (en'ach), n. [Gael, eineach, bounty.] In 
old Scots law, amends or satisfaction for a crime, 
fault, or trespass. 
enact (e-nakt'),. t. [< ME. enacten; < en- 1 + 
act."] 1. To decree; establish by the will of 
the supreme power ; pass into a statute or es- 
tablished law; specifically, to perform the last 
act of a legislature to, as a bill, giving it va- 
lidity as a law ; give sanction to, as a bill. 
Through all the periods and changes of the Church it 
hath beene prov'd that God hath still reserv'd to himself e 
the right of enacting Church-Government. 
Milton, Church-Government, i. 2. 
It was enacted that, for every ton of Malmsey or Tyne 
wine brought into England, ten good bowstaves should also 
be imported. Encyc. Brit,, II. S72. 
2. To act ; perform ; effect. 
The king enacts more wonders than a man, 
Daring an opposite to every danger. 
Shak., Rich. III., v. 4. 
3. To act the part of ; represent on or as on 
the stage. 
Ham. And what did you enact ? 
Pol. I did enact Julius Cajsar : I was killed i' the Capi- 
tol ; Brutus killed me. Shak., Hamlet, iii. 2. 
Enacting clause, the introductory clause of a legislative 
bill or act, beginning "Be it enacted by, "etc. A common 
means of defeating a bill in its initial stages is a motion to 
strike out its enacting clause, which if successful carries 
all the rest with it. 
enactt, n. [ME. ; < enact, v.~] An enactment; 
an act. 
This enacte ao to endure by force of this present yelde 
[gild]. English Gilds (E. E. T. S.), p. 404. 
enactive (e-nak'tiv), a. [< enact + -ire.] Hav- 
ing power to enact, or establish as a law. 
enactment (e-nakt'ment), . [< enact + -me>it.~\ 
1. The act of enacting or decreeing; specifi- 
cally, the passing of a bill into a law ; the act 
of giving validity to a law by vote or decree. 
In 1176, precise enactment established the jury system, 
still rude and imperfect, as the usual mode of trial. 
Welsh, Eng. Lit., I. 61. 
2. A law enacted ; a statute ; an act. 
If we look simply at the written enactments, we should 
conclude that a considerable portion of the pagan worship 
was, at an early period, absolutely and universally sup- 
pressed. Lecky, Rationalism, I. 58. 
3. The acting of a part or representation of a 
character in a play. =Syn. 2. Statute, Ordinance, etc. 
See (awl. 
enactor (e-nak'tor), n. [< enact + -or.] 1. 
One who enacts or decrees ; specifically, one 
who decrees or establishes a law. 
This is an assertion by which the great Author of our 
nature, and Enactor of the law of good and evil, is highly 
dishonoured and blasphemed. 
Up. Atlerbury, Sermons, II., Pref. 
2. One who acts or performs. Shak. 
enacturet (e-nak'tur), H. [< enact + -nre."] 
Purpose; effect; action. 
